The silence in the room was only broken by utensils clicking on plates and the sound of chewing. Brandon didn't quite know what to do to break the silence nor how to address the grumpy Beta in front of him.

Clearly he could tell that Jamie was anything but happy; a scowl twisted his features, nose turned in disgust as the Beta sipped from his coffee.

Plus, it was hard not to detect the pungent petrichor that clung to the air and stung Brandon's nostrils. Jamie's scowl deepened as he slowly sipped from his mug, making Brandon clear his throat.

"I have some sugar left over if..." Brandon trailed off, shooting a glance at the mug when Jamie's gaze found his, confused. "Or I can get more milk..."

"Huh? Oh, it's... thanks but there's no need." Stuffing another slice of crisp bacon behind his lips, Jamie finally raised his eyes off the plate to clash with Brandon's once more.

"Why are you doing this?" Jamie's eyes were cool and frosty as they observed Brandon. The Beta's expression was cold, stern. Closed off as he silently chewed on his food, scent bitter with distrust and simmering anger.

The petrichor was strong, too bitter, too chemical. It didn't bring up any warm memories, instead it was cool and clinical. Showing clearly just how annoyed the Beta was.

Brandon swallowed his mouthful of scrambled eggs and bacon before speaking "Doing what? Eating breakfast?" The glare that Jamie sent his way made Brandon smile waver before he quickly amend.

"Dad told me that you hadn't received breakfast yet, I didn't have mine, so I figured we could share." Brandon heaped more eggs and bacon on his fork, buttering a piece of bread while he chewed before he added "I figured it would be a good way to bond and grow accustomed to one another..."

Jamie hummed distractedly, using his own fork to pile bacon, eggs and a few slices of sausage on his bread before squishing it shut into an impromptu sandwich.

"So you figured it was a good idea to barge into the room?" Jamie grumbled around a mouthful of food, making Brandon sigh.

"I knocked, twice. And then Sean opened and allowed me in." The young Alpha explained, ignoring the slight provocative tone that Jamie used.

"As you know, I didn't touch Sean at any point, nor did I come anywhere near the bed. All I did was enter with the food, call for Sean when he curled back up on the bed and then you when I couldn't rouse him from his sleep."

A tense silence clung to the air as both of them chewed their food, utensils clicking while Brandon kept his eyes on his plate. He had figured that the Beta needed a moment to collect his thoughts.

Brandon didn't blame the boy for his attitude, the passive-aggressiveness that oozed from his voice. After all, there was no file to read, nothing that spoke of Jamie's background.

Except for the fact that he had DID.

Part of Brandon wondered what happened to Jamie to have triggered his development of DID. The scars on the Beta's hands were already one of the undoubtedly many small clues, if Brandon dared to look further into the situation.

Bile burned his throat, eyes widening for a split second before Brandon forced his features back to neutral. A shiver ran over his spine as a niggling thought bit as his mind, as there were only a few reasons as to why Jamie was so aggressive at finding anyone in their bedroom.

Suddenly, the mouthful of eggs was rubbery and  tasteless, hard to swallow past the bile that burned his gullet. Realization of what had very likely happened to Jamie... to Sean in their troubled past.

The boy's fear of Alphas... DID, which is over 90% caused by trauma, especially during childhood... Jamie's near volatile reaction at an Alpha in their room, when they're at their most vulnerable...

"You stink." Jamie's voice broke through the distraught, the anger that was festering inside Brandon, making the young Alpha look up.

The Beta's nose was curled up as if scenting something unpleasant, making Brandon realize that Jamie was undoubtedly smelling the Alpha's distress and anger.

And thanks to their species heightened senses, they could smell one another's emotions simply by the pheromones they produced at the time.

His normal warm and calming scent that reminded others of sandalwood, was undoubtedly pungent and overwhelming.

"Sorry... I just... sorry." He struggled to get his emotions back under control. His beast fought against the sickening ideas that swirled through their shared mind, of what could've possibly happened.

It wanted out. To hunt down and kill anyone who'd ever dared to touch the people in front of them.

Hunt. Kill. Destroy.

Jamie's brow arched in confusion before he sighed, "Look, don't worry about it. It's on me, well, Sean really, to be so unaware that he let you in while he was barely awake." The beta finished his sandwich, oblivious to the true cause of Brandon's turmoil.

"I shouldn't have... reacted as poorly as I did. You just caught me off guard." Jamie added, unconsciously rubbing over his wrist and drawing Brandon's attention to the bared skin there.

Scars. Thin scars, as if someone, no, something had cut into his skin repeatedly over time. As if he had struggled against restraints digging into his flesh...

Yet, those scars didn't seem to come from actively cutting himself. Which only made Brandon's stomach churn unpleasantly, as it only reaffirmed his earlier thoughts.

And they weren't pleasant. The small hints and clues clicked together like a puzzle, forming a rather disturbing image.

Those thoughts only succeeded to make his blood boil, beast pacing back and forth. Snarls building in his throat, threatening to spill out at a moment's notice.

Hunt. Kill. Destroy.

Brandon cleared his throat, mind scrambling to find something to focus on, to not give into his beast's insistent need to go out and find whoever was responsible.

Because it was piecing together a horrifying image which explained so much and yet, left so many things unanswered. Questions that Brandon feared the answer to.

"Should I just... leave the food... at the door... next time?" Brandon managed to grit past his teeth, the strain to his voice alerting Jamie of the war that was waging within the Alpha.

Jamie snorted, rolling his eyes, "And having to eat cold eggs on stale bread? No thanks." He reached for a few of the hash browns, tossing them in his mouth before holding a finger up as he chewed, indicating for Brandon to hold on.

"Nah, just knock a few times and say my name, well, either of our names. Undoubtedly Sean will be a blushing mess the next time you bring breakfast, if he manages to wake up completely."

Brandon smiled, grateful that Jamie was doing his best to not point out the slight tremble within his hands or his obvious struggle with his beast. In fact, the beta was helping him by distracting both wolf and man with tiny tidbits of information.

"I take it Sean is a heavy sleeper then?" Brandon said, eyes sparkling with amusement when Jamie hummed around his cup of coffee.

"To put it lightly. A bomb could go off and the pup just snoozes away." He murmured affectionately, hand hovering over the pancake with a questioning look before he took it when Brandon motioned his agreement.

"That bad huh?" Brandon snickered, finishing his plate and putting it back on the tray as Jamie scoffed. The beta pricked his fork within the last of the pancakes, waving it around as he spoke.

"Seriously, the pup is hopeless. I've set alarm after alarm in an attempt to help wake him up but he sleeps through them or wakes just enough to shut them off. The little shit once woke up in a daze and took a shower completely dressed! I had to take over and get everything cleaned up before he made a mess!"

Brandon nearly choked on his tea, slapping a hand over his mouth to prevent from spraying the lukewarm fluid all over the room.

"The fucking brat had the gall to blame me for ruining his favorite shirt, too. Can you believe that lil' shit?!" Jamie growled, shaking his head but smirking as Brandon managed to force the tea down and slapped his chest a few times.

He wheezed, clearing his throat before croaking "You did that on purpose, didn't you."

Jamie's grin was telling, especially as he shrugged innocently. "It calmed you down, didn't it?" The beta relaxed in his seat, patting his slightly distended stomach with a groan. "Fuck, your mom can cook."

Brandon smiled, proud at the compliment and knowing that his mother would glow as soon as she heard it. She took great pride in her culinary skills but for some unknown, absurd reason, she always thought she could do better.

Perhaps, that was an Omegan trait... to self-doubt and worry, to think they weren't good enough. Though in a way, Brandon has often felt the same, just in a slightly different form.

He always compared himself to his father's impeccable control over his beast. How the man could approach a room that was filled with suffocating distress pheromones, soothe the occupants without losing control over his Alpha.

With seemingly relative ease.

It had always made Brandon strive to at least have a fragment of his father's abilities. He knew realistically speaking that Brandon was already behaving properly, had a far better than average control over his animalistic instincts.

But he didn't want average. His control needed to be perfected because the young Alpha refused to let his pack members become statistics. The unlucky few who happened to be at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Brandon absolutely despised packs that laid all responsibility on the lower ranks, who fell victim to an Alpha's rage.

"They should've seen the signs, should've read the room. Obviously they were provoking the Alpha, were the reason why the Alpha lashed out." Such utter bullshit.

If anything, Alphas should be the ones held responsible. Everyone knew that they had more reactive beasts so while everyone should practice control, Alphas in particular shouldn't have an excuse ready.

The young Alpha clearly remembered the other high-strung alphas back when he was sent off to camp. How they easily diverted any and all responsibility and deemed themselves untouchable.

Brandon had made sure to report every last one of those cocky bastards that thought they could bully the lower ranks around simply because they themselves were born Alpha.

He slowly started clearing the table, placing empty plates on the tray and smiling as there was very little leftovers to be discarded.

All the while, Brandon was fully aware of Jamie's eyes on him, observing his every move. Not necessarily in a hostile manner but... wary.

As if wondering what Brandon was going to do, now that there wasn't a meal to distract his beast. Brandon smiled, clearing the last of the dishes and stacking them together before he cleared his throat.

"I don't know if... father has reached out about the plan yet?" The look of confusion on Jamie's face was an answer enough, allowing Brandon to gather his thoughts for a moment.

Licking his dry lips nervously, Brandon started, "We, or rather, my brother Gabriel, has pointed out a small issue with the plan."

The Beta across him frowned, arms crossing protectively. Not dismissing the conversation, just, guarded and closed off.

"Oh?" One word, yet it sent chills down Brandon's spine at the sudden, sharp bite behind the tone. Instead of taking the bait and snapping back, Brandon stretched out his tense muscles.

"Gabriel realized that many of the pack would start asking questions. Questions on why you and your brother are never in one and the same room." Brandon explained patiently, instinctively knowing that Jamie would agree.

And just as he thought, the blonde haired male sighed deeply, rubbing his hands over his face. "Of course they would. Anyone would. I can't believe I didn't realize that issue sooner."

A little smile played on Brandon's lips as he teasingly murmured, "It worked for Clark Kent..."

Jamie snorted at that, the thick petrichor smoothing down until it resembled the soothing yet addictive scent of a hot summer's rain.

"Great." Jamie drawled, shaking his head, "Should I start wearing my underwear over my pants then?"

Both the wolves snorted before erupting in laughter, the tense moment broken away. Their scents were warm and pleasant, permating the room with their calming fragrance.

"So, now what?" Jamie steepled his fingers in thought, kicking back with a muffled groan. "While I have no qualms with people knowing what we are, who we are, I doubt that Sean will be able to handle the attention."

Brandon nodded with understanding, as he already anticipated the Omega's reaction to the news. "We still introduce you as before. Werewolves are curious creatures to begin with and those that have questions will be bold enough to ask you in person."

He shuffled his weight in his seat, swallowing before he continued, "Those that come to us, to my father and I, will be redirected to you. Unless, you don't mind us informing them of your... true nature."

Jamie scoffed at that, tapping his fingers on the table. "The issue I have...while in a perfect world, we wouldn't even need to explain anything..." Jamie seemed to pause, choose his words carefully at times.

"What...what we've." He paused, shaking his head before resting his chin on his folded fingers. "Our past has... made us wary. People like to talk. Even about things they shouldn't talk about."

Brandon remained silent, nodding solemnly. While it was less within a pack, people still liked to chat and spread rumors. Not maliciously so but like the saying goes, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

"You're worried that, word might slip to the wrong people." Brandon spoke slowly, surprised when Jamie shook his head with a wry smile.

"Not... necessarily. I'm more worried that people will get too curious for their own good and start asking...questions."

Ah. That made even more sense but that was an easily solved issue. "My father can command those who know to not speak about the issue, if you wish."

Jamie grumbled slightly, tapping his fingers on the table in annoyance before pushing off. "People should know not to ask prying questions. From what I know of your father, he isn't one to command his people and deprive them of a free mind."

"True, but he, well, we also believe that there should be a clear line of communication in the pack. Lies and deceit will only muddle the connections between us."

The young alpha sighed, throwing his head back to look at the ceiling thoughtfully. "While I can't speak for everyone, I know most of the pack can be trusted to respect personal boundaries."

He snickered slightly, a self-deprecating smile on his lips. "With everyone shifting at random the first few years of our lives, we've learned to respect personal space, after all."

Jamie nodded, brushing a few loose strands of hair out of his face before he sighed. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there, I suppose. I'll talk about it more in-depth with your father."

Brandon nodded, glancing at the clock before sighing as he realized duty called. He wasn't the Pack's Alpha yet, but that didn't mean he could just shirk his duties, no matter how interesting it was to talk with Jamie or Sean.

"You have to go." Jamie stated, waiting until Brandon declared his agreement before the Beta paused, licking his lips hesitantly. "Can I ..."

The hesitation, the slight fear was present in the man's tone, even his scent. For a moment, a small, easy to ignore second, petrichor burned his nose.

Brandon grinned, motioning to the door. "Of course, you're not a prisoner." He snorted, standing up and heading to the tray with their dirty dishes. "You're free to go everywhere you want."

"Good, but I'll stick near you so the pack doesn't assume I'm a rogue that managed to stumble on their turf." Jamie groaned as he stretched, shirt dragging up at the motion and revealing a hint of his abdominal muscles flexing.

Brandon quickly averted his eyes from the thin trail of blonde hair, not wanting to be caught drooling over Sean or Jamie, again. His father wasn't around to give him a friendly head's up.

And he had a feeling if Jamie saw the young Alpha openly drooling at the sight of them, Brandon would be caught off guard by a knee to the balls.

If he was lucky to escape with his balls intact. Brandon bit back a cringe and instead lead Jamie out of the room. "I need to aid the border patrol in a bit, plan the next few hunts and delegate tasks to the pack." Brandon spoke, cracking his neck and sighing at the relief of pressure.

"You could come along to the borders, if you want. Get to see the territory for when you feel more comfortable to go out on a run." Brandon suggested, biting his tongue after he did so.

Didn't Jamie just mention he didn't look forward to prying questions? And now he had offered Jamie to come along on border patrol, where undoubtedly pack members would spot them and ask question about the unknown wolf in Brandon's presence.

He was expecting an unpleasant peak in the petrichor that wafted to his nose. The uncomfortable burn of anger, a stench that clung to your nose and made you want to sneeze to clear it out.

Instead, Jamie let out a thoughtful little noise from the back of his throat, actually contemplating the offer. Surprisingly, there was a barely perceptible change in the Beta's scent, a sudden lightness before it was covered.

"Sure." Jamie agreed, following Brandon to the doorway of the kitchen to drop off their dishes. "That way I won't get mobbed by the border patrol if I were to accidentally approach the edges of the territory."

Brandon smiled, feeling his wolf huff contently at a job well done. Plus, running in a group was seen as a perfect way to bond with one another.

And the young Alpha had the sneaky suspicion that his wolf had pushed the suggestion to the forefront with that knowledge in mind.

Brandon took a last, quick mug of coffee, handing one to Jamie as well, knowing that it would be a while before either of them could get a caffeine fix.

At first, it seemed Jamie was going to politely refuse the mug, but then there was a naughty twinkle in his eyes, lip slightly pulling in a smirk before he accepted the lukewarm mug and took a big mouthful.

Petrichor softened into soft, sweet Jasmine and the smirk on Jamie's face quickly turned into a disgusted grimace as Sean was now forced to swallow down the mouthful of coffee.

Brandon fought back his laughter, though he couldn't stop his own scent from growing lighter with amusement as the poor Omega choked and gagged, hurrying to the sink to spit out the coffee, all the while whining about the awful taste.

"Ugh-" He retched, rinsing his mouth with water before shaking his head, tongue sticking out and nose curled adorable. "That's nasty! Jamie!"

Both of then knew it was Jamie's subtle yet harmless revenge for Sean's mistake of allowing anyone in their room while he was barely awake.

However, Sean took it in stride and, after rinsing his mouth a few more times all the while sputtering and complaining about the taste, he followed Brandon towards their planned run.